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omonatheydid
Who said that in 10 years, even rivers and mountains change? Having debuted 6 years ago, their features still remains unchanged. Last year they even blossomed amongst the flowers of the music industry. How were they able to keep this radiance?
Hence, we prepared. From the beginning until now. 2,000 days since debut. We will trace Wonder Girls’ history!
Wonder Girls debuted on February 13, 2007 and released their mini-album The Wonder Begins (Title track Irony). Their showcase was held concurrent to the album release.
During the live internet broadcast of their showcase, they caused the server to go down. Honestly, did they anticipate this success?
K: Since debut, you guys generated huge expectations and achieved great success. Did you expect to be that successful?
(Sunye) It was surprising to see the positive reactions from the fans. Was it because there were few girlgroups around during that era? Anyway, i am just grateful for the tons of interest we received. Back then it didn’t even cross my mind that we were going to be that successful.
(Sohee) I thought just the fact that they remembered our name was a success itself. However, i was really grateful for the huge interest that was given to us.
It is said that happy events are often followed by difficulties. They were marking their presence when sad events unanticipatedly occured. A member was replaced and Sohee sustained an injury during the filming of her movie.
K: Albeit the group’s active promotions, Sohee had to rest for a month due to her injury. And the members were struggling as well. How was the feeling back then for the three members? And how did you overcome that difficult period?
(Sohee) Although i gained good reviews thru the movie, it was an uncomfortable time for me to be Wonder Girls’ Sohee. Whenever i start feeling that way, the fellow unnies would encourage me a lot. The way we coped with those incidents made me proud to be on the same team as the ‘Wonder Girls’.
(Sunye) I think we overcame the hardships because we relied on each other a lot. Looking back now, i think it’s the teamwork that made us grow.(laughs)
Such incidents resulted with a twist, thereupon the birth of the new Wonder Girls. The Wonder Years, their
K: Yubin, you joined the group. How was the experience back then?
(Yubin) At first, i was really amazed. Like the feeling you get when you meet celebrities?(laughs) Even then I was a fan of the song
The album, costumes and hair style was in accordance to the retro concept. And the songs exuded 1980’s retro mood. Tell Me, undeniably the best song from the album came like a nuclear bomb. It dominated various TV programs. Swept online charts and the choreography was loved by students, police, soldiers and many people. Tons of parody videos were also made. Everyone was captivated by the ‘Tell Me Syndrome’. This album, literally like its name was the ‘Wonder Year’.
K: What does Tell Me meant to everybody? And if there’s any memorable episodes during that era, please tell us.
(Sunye) I think if there was no Tell Me, the Wonder Girls that we know would not be here today. I remember being worried because we are trying the retro concept for the first time.
(Yubin) There were also a lot of public events back then. The only song i really knew is Tell Me since I joined late and I couldn’t learn the choreography in such a short period of time. I recall Yeeun hastily teaching me the choreography at a highway rest stop.
(Yeeun) That’s coz I thought unnie knew the choreography. When I realized there’s a new song I said, ‘Oh, unnie you don’t know the choreography right?’. We practiced hard using the car’s window as our mirror.(laughs)
2008, literally like the album’s title is the Wonder Year!
They disappeared from our eyes after wrapping up their activities for the first album. But the disappearance was to a certain extent as they were still actively promoting in the US and Thailand. They also participated on various festivals and events in Korea. Even then, the comeback preparations were already underway. After concluding their activities in January, in the span of 4 months and on the last week of May! So Hot, the second single was released.
However there was an unfortunate event. The single was leaked thru an overseas portal site.
K: It was leaked before the official release. Curious about how you guys felt back then.
(Sohee) It was really heartbreaking. I wanted to show my best but not in that situation. But since it garnered us a lot of interest from the public, i tried to think of the incident positively.
On the day of release, the song got 1st place on TV and online charts. Indeed they’re the Wonder Girls!
K: The popularity of the song So Hot was boundless. Many celebrities would even add their own style to the choreography. What was it like witnessing it back then?
(Yubin) The first time I heard So Hot, I thought it was a fun song. I remember being reluctant to try the leopard-printed costumes coz of my young age. We had fun shooting the music video as well. In terms of choreography, i was really worried about how we can express it. But since it’s a fun song, i think many people expressed it their own way.
The music video became an issue back then. Some said it contained hints about 2PM’s debut. So we asked.
K: Rumor has it that there were hints about 2PM’s debut on the music video. It’s been quite some time now so please tell us about it.
(Yubin) Yes it is true. There’s the scorecard with 10 points which signifies the song <10 points out of 10>. There’s also the scene where the time on my watch reads 2PM. To confirm those scenes, I cameoed on the music video <10 out of 10>.
The rapid success of So Hot definitely gave them a huge pressure for their follow-up song. For the fans who longed for the ‘youthful image’, they included a ballad song (without promotion) on the album. It was the best choice. The track Nobody was released on September 2008. What more needs to be said? It is simply the best. They were the leading group of girls who reinterpreted the retro concepts.
K: It was an undying retro craze from the Wonder Girls! Was there a particular reason why these three songs were released consecutively?
(Yubin) I didn’t know those 3 songs were retro myself. I think producer Park Jinyoung really thought about the songs. We got great results as well since the members worked hard on portraying the concepts.
It was a never-ending popularity. After 3 days of album release, they would hit number 1 on charts. It was then followed by glorious awards. They received the Song of the Year on three domestic award ceremonies(MKMF, Golden Disk Awards, and Seoul Music Awards). Female Group Award, Music Video Award (MKMF), and the Grand Prize at Seoul Music Awards (nominated alongside Big Bang and TVXQ). They were the first female group to receive the grand award in 9 years!(Fin.k.l on 1999).
2007-2008 was indeed the ‘Wonder Year’!
Bold attempt in 2009~2010, no regret
‘How would Wonder Girls’ domestic promotions be like if they didn’t leave for the US?’, people would still wonder even to this day. A group produced with overseas expansion in mind, they learned foreign languages even before debut and are extremely popular in Thailand and China. Hence the notion of expanding was inevitable.
Why United States though? It began with the JYP Tour. With this they launched their career and started overseas activities in the US. They opened for the popular American group ‘The Jonas Brothers’ 49 times. Toured for 60 days and appeared on the famous FOX TV channel. In 7 months, the English version of their hit song
But in the midst of this success, a member was replaced. Sunmi had to quit on February 2010, and they were joined by Hyerim.
K: Hyerim joined the group in 2010. How did you feel? Must not have been easy.
(Hyerim) Surprised since it was so sudden. Felt restless and excited at the same time. I did struggle a little coz of my debut and i had to hastily learn the choreography and the English language for our US Tour. But thanks to the members’ encouragement, i was able to adapt to everything quickly.
K: Although this is a question that has been constantly asked, did you guys feel any regret on leaving your popularity(in Korea) behind for your US venture? Your thoughts during that period?
(Yubin) I felt scared and eager because it’s a new challenge. But looking back, i think it was a great opportunity.
(Sunye) We were determined about it even though it was a difficult time. I want to thank producer Park Jinyoung again for making that decision having our group’s future in mind.
K: How was life in US?
(Sohee) We had a more comfortable life in the US compared to Korea. When i would go outdoors, i can enjoy my leisure time sitting at park benches since people don’t recognize me. I really liked that i don’t have to worry about other people staring at me here and there.
(Hyerim) I really enjoy having party with the fellow unnies on our accommodation. I can’t have that opportunity when we’re in Korea.
(Yeeun) I remember having had to work hard on learning English. We had to master conversation skills in such a short span of time. The members worked really hard.
(Sunye) Pity, pity!(laughs) Although the lifestyle pattern was difficult, looking back I realized it became a good opportunity for us. Even if we are to envision the future and look back, it would still be a great opportunity.
The domestic fans didn’t forget them although they were actively promoting in the States. In May 2010, they topped the music charts with <2 Different Tears>. The English version ranked 39 on US Itunes chart. But the downside was that they only promoted for 2 weeks in Korea due to American activities.
K: You guys briefly returned with <2 Different Tears>. But it was such a pity that the Korean fans who waited for so long, only got to meet you for 2 weeks. Why such a short period of promotion?
(Yubin) We had a tour to do on our itinerary. Even for a short time we wanted to meet our fans. Despite that fact many were still there and welcomed us. I’m really grateful.
2011~2012 and the present
There were no longer domestic activities. Wonder Girls were gradually being yearned by the public.
Then in November 2011, they released the second studio album Wonder World. Be My Baby, the title track, rose to number 1 on various music charts. The music video was the most discussed on youtube as well. After their brief promotion in the US, they released a new album Wonder Party on June 2012. And in July, they released the single Like Money.
K: R.E.A.L, a song telling a man to be rational and Like This, an exciting title track were among the variety of songs included in the album Wonder Party. How was this album made?
(Yubin) This album i would say has thought-centered lyrics. Although melody is important, we thought it was more significant to communicate with the public.
(Sohee) We also got into confrontations while working on this album. I think it happened because of the avidity that each one of us had in music. But in my opinion, those incidents helped us produce a complete album.
K: So whose opinion is the strongest? Simply put, who wins?
(Hyerim) There is no such thing in our team! We all decide base on majority vote. If three people are in favor, we go with their choice.
K: Regretfully, you guys had to leave your fans after
(Yeeun) We had to prepare for our ‘JYP Nation’ concert in Japan. And we are going to have a tour in Asia and prepare for our US promotions.
(Sohee) Aside from our Asia Tour, our new single will be released in the US. Like you mentioned I think it’s going to be another challenge for us.
Since 2007 until this very moment. From Korea and beyond, they continue on challenging themselves.
I would say Wonder Girls are Wanderers! But I wonder what does the term Wonder Girls mean to the members.
K: It’s been 6 years since Wonder Girls debuted. What does Wonder Girls mean to each member?
(Yubin) For me, it means ‘opportunity’. An opportunity that gave me the chance to experience new challenges.
(Hyerim) I agree with Yubin’s statement. Wonder Girls gave us the opportunity to experience new things.
(Sunye) As a leader, it means a lot to me. Uhm……it’s really hard to just define it in one word.
Wonder Girls are still progressing. They signed with DefStar Records and are planning to take over Japan this year.
A group that doesn’t know how to give up. Is that the reason? This team’s name seems to suit them. Not the superheroine Wonder Woman but Wonder Girls.
K: Last words to our Kwave readers please.
(Sunye) I’m thankful that through KPOP, senior and junior singers can unite together. I wish for more interest in the future not only for Wonder Girls, but for Korea as well.
(Yeeun) Thank you for loving our K-POP singers and please do keep cheering for us in the future.
Random questions
K: To Sohee, what do you think of your nickname ‘Dumpling Sohee’?
(Sohee) I didn’t like it back then because of the way i look when i was young. The way my chubby cheeks look……. but now i really like it. I think it’s good. They say as i’m aging, my chubby cheeks are getting smaller.(laughs)
K: How does Wonder Girls maintain their body?
(Yeeun) It’s not that all of the members follow strict diets and exercise regularly. We just balance our workout to how much we eat.
(Hyerim) I go jogging or biking at Han River.
K: Oh! Do people recognize you?
(Hyerim) If i wear a hat they don’t.(laughs)
K: How about each member’s ideal man?
(Sohee) A normal man. I think it would be burdensome to have a handsome man. Actually, i don’t think i have a specific ideal man.
(Hyerim) Humorous and someone who i can learn from a lot.
(Yeeun) A masculine man! A man who shares the same heart as mine and someone who i can communicate with. A person who doesn’t care about looks. A person who can envision like me. Ideal appearance, none.
Wonderr23 @ tumblr, ohmysohee
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Date: 2012-10-03 10:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 12:46 am (UTC)i also felt like when sunmi left too was when things got a little shaky...The wonder years is the best album ever.. i came across them right when they debuted.. the wonder years was such a good cd...
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Date: 2012-10-04 07:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 05:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 01:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 01:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 01:52 am (UTC)and seriously, it's obvious that they don't care over being the top of the pyramid anymore, with them being in america it gave them the chance to be kids of their age and be a part of a new culture, tbh rn they have the best of both worlds, they can go back to korea and be the famous legends who changed forever the kpop game and then return to america and be their normal selves, plus they seem very happy with everything they have right now.
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Date: 2012-10-04 01:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 01:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 05:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 05:59 pm (UTC)The girls are happy, and to me that's what matters. And they have accomplished a lot for a kpop group in the US. Just because they didn't instantly blow up to Bieber amount of popularity doesn't mean they've accomplished nothing. I've met a lot of people who've never heard of Kpop who know and like them. They're working hard and building a solid base, and I'm not upset that they got to live a bit of a normal life while doing it.
Literally the ONLY reason I would ever want them to go back to Korea and stay there (other than them choosing and wanting that path) is that them doing so is the only way we have any chance of seeing Sunmi with them again. I really want all 6 of them to stand on stage together, but as long as they're promoting in the US that's never going to happen because Americans are too stupid to tell Asians apart and "well you just got used to these 5 so here let's add in another one who was here but then she wasn't but now she is again."
I'm just really proud of them. They're wonderful, amazing, talented, hardworking, and just the sweetest girls ever. They've done amazing things, and they're just going to keep doing them from here.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-05 12:33 am (UTC)